interview with a birthday boy

my baby is [six] years old today.

In an effort to create new traditions in our little family, I've been thinking of ways to honor the birthday person on his (or her) special day!

Mine flew by fast this year, but you can see some of the special things some sweet and dear friends did for me here.

I found this interview on this sweet friend's post and thought it would be great for my birthday boy!

{source}

Interview with a Birthday Boy

What is your name? Mason.

What are some of your nicknames? Mase, Max (y'know, the one I gave myself), Crazy Monkey (that's what Papa calls me) and Monkey Boy.

How old are you? Five. Uh, Oops, I mean Six.

Where do you live? On South Lamonte Street.

What are some of your favorite things to do? Hang, do my homework, play Wii, help Mom cook, helping dad paint and around the house.

What are your favorite foods? Bananas, sour cream & cheddar potato chips, enchiladas, -- what's Garfield's favorite food again? Mom: lasagna-- lasagna, cheeseburgers with extra pickles and oranges.

What do you want to be when you grow up? a policeman.

What do you do on your birthday? blow out candles, eat cupcakes, open presents and play with balloons.

What is your favorite color? or do you have more than one? Blue. And green. And white. And red, too.

What would be the best thing someone could give you? A card on email from monkeys (like the funny monkey one Meme and Pepe sent).

What will you do all day today? Go to school, bring cupcakes for all my mates, eat lunch with Mom and Dad and Collin at Red Robin, play with toys and read books and play on the Wii.

What is your favorite toy? The penguin from the slide game.

Who loves you the most? God, Mom, Dad and everyone else.

What is your favorite book? A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein

What's your favorite story in that book? Kidnapped.

What is your favorite song? The Belly Button Song

Where is your favorite place to visit? To Meme and Pepe's house or to Nana and Papa's house.

What makes you happy? Saying something silly, watching Collin with a balloon stuck to his back with static, tickles, squeezer hugs, when balloons pop out.

What makes you sad? When it's time to go.

What was your favorite thing about your 6th birthday? Getting to open presents and getting a new bike.

What's something you want to do this year that you've never done before? Play tennis.

What are you most looking forward to about being six? Starting first grade next year, swimming without help, the new baby coming, eating crackers in only one bite!

What do yout think is the most important thing in the whole world? God making the whole universe.

Happy, Happy Birthday, Mason Scott! We love you millions!

love!

et all

February Day

A few days ago, after visiting with this lovely friend, I had this wonderful idea to post every day of February and made a plan! I committed to posting every day in February and I would be able to start on the 1st.

Great intentions, right?

Today's the 3rd.

Where does the time go? I seem to have time to catch up on facebook, for phonecalls with friends (even this friend in the Ukraine!), for (a few) chores around the house and even a project or two here or there.... but not for blogging? Hmmm.

I suppose I should be thankful. If blogging is the hardest thing in my life right now, then I ought to be pretty darn thankful.

We've been busy lately, running around to and fro. I have been involved with a great group of ladies who inspire and encourage. We're currently reading Crazy Love an amazing and challenging book. And I just have a chapter left before it's over and we start the next. Chris has been keeping quite busy with LawLand... working a lot of hard hours during the week and then coming home to work lots of hard hours during the weekend on home projects here and there.

I've been managing the homefront and seem to be doing a lot of shuttling this year with Mason in kindergarten. He has Awana on Wednesday nights and keeps getting invitations to birthday parties and playdates from all the girls in his class! Collin gets to go to school too! Just Friday mornings for 2 1/2 hours. He loves Fridays, his classmates and his teacher!

Maybe every day of February was a little unrealistic after it being... well, let's not count how many months it's been. I hope to share the goings-on with you all and maybe pictures of a project or two! Who knows? Maybe I'll get real good at this!

love!

Quiet Afternoon

Hello Friends!

It's been a while.

(I know.)

It seems I say that too often...

Here.

&

in person.

Time to CHANGE that!

* * *

We are moved into 'This Old House' and my only job is that of taking care of myself and the three men in my life. One is off to his full time job (for which we are very grateful after three very long years of graduate studies), one is off to his half day every day kindergarten class and one who mostly follows me around-- except on Fridays, when he too gets to go to school.

The house is by no means finished, but is liveable. My furniture is in, the walls are painted (white), the kitchen is fully functional with the exception of the island I am dreaming of...

My sweet friend Courtney has been strongly encouraging me to unpack my decorations and get some things up on these bare walls and shelves. My sister was up visiting yesterday and drove up some of the fall decorations I had stored at my parents' and so I have started making this house our HOME.

As I sit with my cup of tea, while the littlest is sleeping and his brother is reading, the house is so quiet! No music, no background TV noise (of which I'm usually guilty), no upstairs neighbors to listen to and few knocks on this door. It's peaceful.

(Well, now the small sound of the dishwasher is on in the background because I didn't dare post a picture of my mug of tea {a gift from this sweet friend} in the kitchen with dirty dishes!)

{A sneek peek at my new kitchen!}


Slowly, I am sorting through and organizing pictures to be able to show you all in blogland what it looks like here! And am compiling files of designs and projects I'd love to feature... what it will {hopefully} maybe someday look like here!

And I plan to visit often, update frequently and keep in better touch with you all. Life is too precious not to stop by and say hi.

love!

Join me?

... for a cup of tea? or maybe you prefer coffee...

whatever you choose... we have some serious catching up to do!

(you may need more than one cup)

Last post was January, but last update was

*gasp*

over a year ago!

color me

::embarrassed::

in a little more than a year, many things have happened

my baby turned one

(and is nearly two now!)

my husband entered into his third and final year of Law School

my big boy entered his final year of Preschool

we put in an offer in on a short sale home on Spokane's gorgeous South Hill

we waited to hear from the bank

we waited to hear from the bank

we waited to hear from the bank

... and ...

we waited some more

we waited and we waited and we waited

we celebrated Halloween

the boys were an adorable Monkey & and Life Saving Fire Fighter

we gave our thanks on Thanksgiving

we rejoiced at the birth of our King at Christmastime

and we continued to wait to hear from the bank

and, finally, in the middle of JANUARY

we closed on our FIRST HOME!

it's a real diamond in the rough...

we signed up to run a 1/2 marathon
with Team In Training

we began projecting on the house

we trainied for 20 weeks to run 13.1 miles

we fundraised for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

we gutted this one hundred & ONE-year-old home

my oldest turned F.I.V.E!

we projected some more

we had lots of company -- family & friends to help

my husband graduated from Law School

we had a PARTY

we celebrated

we rejoiced

we flew to San Diego to run 13.1 miles in the Rock'N'Roll 1/2 Marathon!

we finished a 1/2 marathon

we celebrated

we were thankful we could still walk

we were thankful we had healthy bodies

we fundraised nearly $5000!

the funds we raised helped families,

and went toward research grants

we are still working on the house

the siding is off

the new roof is on

{Harvard Slate!}

the house is still only studs

and we hope to be moved in in four short weeks

we are thankful we are still in the apartment...

... for now

he's studying for the BAR exam

every day

every night

every in between second

it's h.a.r.d

but

I have to remember to be thankful for all the time we usually have together

and for the sacrifices he is making for our family

and for the job he will have when this exam is over

and all the blessings that will bring to our family

and to so many others'

...

That's just a little taste of what's been going on around here.

What have I missed with you?

And I have missed you.

I can't wait to get back into the swing of things and catch up with you all!

love!

:: Award-Winning Stuffed Chicken ::

It's been a while.

I know.

Before I start out, telling you all about my New Year's resolution and making promises that I may or may not be able to keep. Let's just start out with a new post for the new year! {baby steps, ok?}

A couple of months ago, Chris's boss invited us and another couple from the office over for dinner. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but it was a cooking competition! Apparently, around the office, discussions had been flying as to which half of each couple was the better chef. I was nominated from our team, and went up against Frank and Randy. (The other wifeys got to sit perched up watching with my hubby while I competed!)

It was a little {understatement} nerve-racking to go against these two, but I did it! We each picked three ingredients out of a hat, and were given full access to the kitchen and 20 minutes to complete an hors d'oeuvres to serve. Judging was based upon presentation, creativity and use of ingredients.

My ingredients were: chicken breasts, proscuitto and cream cheese and my number was 3, so I got to go last!

::

I came up with a little concoction of my own and ended up winning the grand prize! Tonight, I re-created the dish, as an entree for my family and am sharing the recipe with you all!

Note to Bunko Babes who may be reading: this dish may be in your near future.

::

Award-Winning Stuffed Chicken

INGREDIENTS
4 oz cream cheese, fat-free
1/2-3/4 c. basil pesto (homemade or store bought)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1-2 eggs
1/2-3/4 c. milk
1/2-3/4 c. italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 c. parmesan cheese
4 slices proscuitto
butter

To begin, rinse chicken and cut off any excess skin or veins. With smooth side up, and a very sharp knife, carefully fillet (or butterfly) your chicken to open it up to create a pocket.

After all four chicken breasts have been butterflied, set them aside.

In a small saucepan, melt cream cheese over low heat. Add basil pesto and stir until well blended.

To assemble chicken, spread cream cheese and pesto mixture onto one half of pocket.

Lay one slice of proscuitto on top of each chicken breast.

Fold chicken back into original shape and set aside.

Prepare an egg wash with 1 egg and about 1/2 c. milk in a dish large enough to coat each chicken. In a seperate dish, combine breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.

Place each chicken first in egg wash and then in breadcrumbs and assemble onto a baking dish.

top each chicken breast with a small pat of butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Flip each breast and bake an additional 7-10 minutes or until juices run clear when cut into.

To make sauce, add milk to remaining cream cheese and pesto mixture.

Serve with pasta, top with sauce.

love! Amy

A Hurdle

it's {HARD} somedays to get everything on your list checked off.

and somedays are {HARDER} than hard.



and somedays, items from the list get moved down, and re-prioritized and moved again and then to the next day...



and the next....

and the next....

and the next....


and somedays, it means I don't get to visit your smiling faces on your blogs or show you mine.



but I shall return!



we've had so much fun this summer....
weddings, birthdays, trips, fun!




and I can't wait to share it all with you! between computer REBUILDS and SHARING and new JOBS... I am gathering my memories and photos, and I promise, I'll {SHARE} them with you!



be patient with me... i know i've been gone for two whole months... but i'm coming~

love!

Waterboys

It's finally summertime here in Spokane and many of you other bloggers have been posting about fun summertime water activites...

We don't have a pool at our apartment, so when we want to go swimming, we typically drive to Meme & Pepe's house (only a 2 hour drive) and play in their backyard. We love taking the trip down and make it pretty often. Since we lived with Meme & Pepe when Mason was young, he thinks of their home as his own. He's very much a waterboy... always has been. Always will be. He LOVES the water.
Loves swimming.
Loves splashing.

We were down on Monday and Collin had SO much fun splashing around in his floaty seat.

Loving the sun.
Loving the {80 degree} water.
Loving the attention.

Today, Collin thought he needed a little pool time...

in his own private 'pool.'

I found him in the main bathroom...

happy as a clam!

10 months old

Enjoy your day today!

Hope it's summery~

love!